Tag: No Regrets

“No Regrets” is the long awaited follow-up to Dope’s ’05 release “American Apathy” and the Dope Army have reason to rejoice. The band which is now made up of guitarist Virus, Tripp on bass, Angel on drums, and the mastermind of it all, Edsel Dope on vocals haven’t changed their sound but are definitely working to perfect it. “No Regrets” takes the best parts of the band’s four previous albums and combine them into a sleazy, heavy, hook-laden homage to sex, drugs, “Violence”, and rock-n-roll that will have you moshing and singing along at the same time.

After a 38 second intro called “Flatline” Edsel and the guys get down to business right from the start with the thrasher “6 6 Sick”. Angel beat the drums on this track like his life depended on it while Virus lays down some thick heavy guitar. For track #2 “Addiction” Edsel enlisted some guy named Zakk Wylde to play lead guitar and for his efforts he got the catchiest song not only on the album but the catchiest Dope song I have heard in a long time. “Addiction” should definitely be getting some major radio airplay.

“No Regrets” and “We Are” are two more heavy songs that have Edsel and the guys raging from start to finish. “My Funeral” and “Dirty World” are both great catchy songs with “Dirty World” being the heaviest of the two. Other stand out tracks include “Best For Me” and “Scorn”. You can also get a bonus tracks edition of “No Regrets” which has an awesome cover of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”, which the band released a few years ago as a website download. There is also a live track called “Die Boom Bang” which is three songs in one and one more new song “Nothing For Me Here” with a damn good solo from Virus.

One thing I have always liked about Dope is the fact they don’t give the listener time to get bored listening to a 6 or 7 minute opus. Edsel gets in your face says what he has to say and moves on to the next subject. The same holds true with “No Regrets” all of the songs and in the 2 1/2 or 3 1/2 minute range with the title track being the longest clocking in at 3:32 but the energy the guys put into that short time span is amazing, they go from 0 to 150 and never let up til the very end.

Dope will not revolutionize the music world but I don’t think that is Edsel or the band’s intentions. What they will do is give the world some heavy and catchy music that will leave you wanting more and more and who said Dope isn’t addictive?